Exercise?

I'm just curious how much exercise your furbabies get.

The girls have always had their fenced in play area where they can run, play and roam as they please. It's a 30x50 area so they can really get running around which they love! They play in their area every night just before dinner and at lunch time for about 20 minutes when hubby goes home to see them.

Anyway, Hubby and I also started taking the girls for walks around the rest of the yard this past weekend (as they finally fit in their harnasses!!) and also started taking them down a bike/walking trail next to our house. Last night we walked for 45 minutes! At one point, I told hubby that we should turn back as the girls looked like they were getting tired. We each picked one up and started walking back.. within 5 minutes Emma wanted down and wanted to walk again! :mrgreen:

I don't want to push them too hard, but also want to be sure they get enough exercise...

 

Honestly, with a pup I'm not certain. For an older dog, I would let it walk if it seemed he wanted too. When Rufus was 1 year old we would go for long walks at least an hour. Just bring some water along. Let them rest a few minutes. If it seems they need to then proceed. Maybe Monster of Mybaby will have a view on puppy excersize. How many months are they now. Like 6 aren't they.

 

Thanks Puttin! Molly & Emma are coming up on 5 months of age and they are about 6 lbs.

I'm amazed at how far we were walking last night.. they just kept going and going and going! Those little legs are full of energy!

 

when i had nala (my rottie) every night we would walk and of course she could walk and walk but sebastain and jasmine were just little so they would walk about a block and i would carry them for a little bit then they would walk again my cat oscar would come along also it was cute everyone in the neighbor hood would smile and say wow what a combination you have there or OMG look that cat is walking with them it was funny since nala has passed we dont go for to many walks anymore since the yorkies have a huge back yard to run in they get plenty of excrise out there and running thru the house chasing each other or the cats.

 

=P~ Hi PooGirl~

When Mickey & Tigger were about the age of Molly & Emma, here's the sort of exercise they got:

~Morning after waking up: Played in yard for about 15 minutes outside

~Right before I left for work (late morning): Played in yard for about 15 minutes outside

~Afternoon: 30 minute walk

~Late afternoon: 15-20 minute play in yard

~Night: 30 minute walk

*For all the playtimes in the yard, the times I put are generally how long they stayed out, they would come to the door once they were tired and wanted to come in.

During the winter months, they did get to play out in the snow for a few minutes each day, however, since no walks and a lot of play time was feasible during those months, we did a lot of indoor exercise and games to substitute.

Now that Mickey & Tigger are over a year, the schedule is pretty much the same, except that we go on longer walks (usually 1 hr. long walks at night, and 45 minute walks in the afternoon - as long as it's not too hot in the afternoon, if it is, lots of indoor play). And when it's nice outside, they do like to spend a good amount of time out in the yard as well.

Mickey & Tigger do have a lot of energy (always have), so lots of free time in the yard, and one or two (one if it's too hot at noon) walks throughout the day has always been sufficient. Then of course, they do LOVE to chase each other and wrestle while indoors, so that helps a lot too!

This is how I did and still do it w/ my two boys, and my vet said that it's perfect for them and their energy level, and sees no problems. Do be sure to bring fresh water during your walks, and have some outside during play times in case they need or want it.

Next time you see your vet, or you could even call, tell him/her about Molly and Emma's exercise routine, and see what he/she thinks. I think it sounds perfect, as long as they aren't showing signs of strong fatigue during the walks and play times (and have fresh water available) I would imagine all is okay!

Just my .02!

 

That is awesome that they are both walking so wonderful.

I wish it was that easy for me :cry: my little Rosco will not walk at all. I have tried and tried in fact I will go home and try again, I am loosing hope.

I don't know why he would not want to walk? Do you think an obedience school would be good for him? I don't want to spend a fortune but is there something they could do that I can;t? Help me out here. :cry:

The only good thing is that the boys definitly get a lot of excersise even though we are unable to go for walks. They chase each other practically all day long and play non stop. I also will put them in the backyard for a while (it is all fenced too) but they don't like to be out there w/out me or my hubby. They must feel left out somehow. :?

 

Papillon/Mom~

Obedience school would be a fantastic idea for both of your pups! It's a great experience for both you and your dogs (socialization, learning new skills, etc.)! While you are there, the trainers should be able to give you some hands-on help with Rosco's walking issue! Just be sure to find a high-quality program with well-educated trainers (not just a 3-week certification class that they went through), and be sure they ONLY use positive reinforcement in their training methods!

Hope you decide to go!

 

i need to take my Yorkies there also do you think we should do one at a time or both togather they have never been apart from each other

 

You know one thing I've noticed is that when a dog gets to at least walk around his block he is less apt to want to bolt out the door. They will listen better. They don't feel like they are missing out on getting to smell all the neighbor dogs. Also, if any of them were to get loose, they would more than likely know their way home. Hopefully.

 

I take mine for walks as often as I can..otherwise I try to play with them inside. Natalie will not really play much inside or in the fenced yard (unless there is snow out there LOL) but Sebastian will play fetch with me and gets really pooped out afterwards.

 

Thanks so much everyone!

Rene ~ what a great story! That certainly must have been cute to see your cat walking with the dogs! Personally, we are enrolling our girls in the same class. They are always together also, although, I do try to take one and walk outside etc., just so they *can* be apart and still be okay with it.

MyBaby ~ I will bring it up to my vet, great idea! The girls routine doesn't sound that far off from Mickey & Tiggers. OMG, Molly and Emma chase each other in the house all the time! It's especially funny when they try to hard to get running on the hardwood floors! :lol:

Papillon/mom ~ About a month and a half ago my hubby and I tried to put the harnasses on the girls.. they wanted nothing to do with them! We did get them outside though but they had no interest whatsoever in walking on the leash. It was probably because they were just too young. Anyway, this past Saturday was only the second time we had tried to take them out (we wanted to get them started again and also we will be going to Canada this weekend, thus, they will be on a leash and they need to be able to walk!) and it was like we have been walking them for months. We don't do anything special I don't think, although as they are walking I always say "Good Girls!" quite a few times. If they stop to smell something or start heading in a direction that they shouldn't (the lead is only 6ft, so not too long), hubby and I will say "No....come on" with a gentle tug on the lead and they come right away.. and again, I am VERY quick to say "Good Girl!" as soon as they do something that I want. We end every walk with down at the blueberry bushed. I tell the girls we are going to get blueberries and they get all excited. It is also another way of reinforcing the "Sit" command we are teaching them... we get a few blueberries, tell them to "Sit" and they get their treat! Emma just LOVES blueberries, I think she'd eat them all day if she could. Anyway, it's a great way to reward them for a successfull walk and I get to sneak in a little more training too :mrgreen: I wouldn't lose hope, not at all. I know it was very easy with our girls, but I remember the first time and they just sat there and looked at us.. wouldn't walk for anything! Forgive me, but I can't remember how old Rosco is? I wonder if it's the same as with my girls, maybe he's just not ready or too young? Also, as MyBaby said, obedience training is a GREAT idea! Actually, my husband and I are enrolling the girls in a class that starts in October. I think they will really enjoy it. I also agree that you should find a great class and one that is small enough that Rosco will get the attention he needs. The class our girls will be in is limited to 8 dogs. Good luck! If I think of any tips I'll be sure to let you know! I'm sure Rosco will come around and will be walking in no time!

Puttin ~ very interesting point! I think that makes a lot of sense. Molly and Emma LOVE to sit in the window and look outside, watch the cars, people jogging by etc. (we have a picture window in the living room so they have quite a view! :lol: ). Anyway, I think they do feel part of it all now that they are walking. We usually have the window open so when cars go by they get used to the sound they make... when we walk them and a car goes by, they stop and watch it go by! Also, funny you mention the thing about knowing their way home.. When we start heading back to the house after our walk, we say to the girls "Let's go HOME!". We are hoping that by saying that each time we head back to the house they will learn just where/what HOME is. Who knows, but we figured it couldn't hurt.

Nern ~ I try to play with the girls as much as I can in the house. Most of the time they get pooped out but sometimes I think they get more worked up and don't want to go to bed!

 

Oh that is just so cute to me that they like to watch the cars go by. Far cry from what sasha would do when I first got her. She could barely walk down the street. She would hunker down into a shivering ball when a car would drive by. I always wonder what happened to her. Did she get hit by one or did she just live her life in a yard and never see anything. She is way better now. She only gets afraid of loud motorcycles or other loud vehicles like the UPS trucks. But I always know she will react to them. I just try to keep walking. Or if its really loud I may pick her up and hold her close covering her ears. Maybe she is just very sensitve to noise becuase possibly she had an ear full of hair and no one to take it out. I know she hears alright, but Rufus his ering is almost rediculous. He hears anything and everything. My heart went out to Sasha the moment I saw her. All I wanted to do was help her.

 

My chi is very afraid of cars as well. He's only a puppy though so I'm sure he will get over it. We found an especially tiny (and cute!) harness just fit for a 2 lb pup but he's not so keen on the idea of a leash yet. When we go for walks he does okay until a car drives down the street, as soon as he sees it he shoots up the nearest driveway or landscape! I think they are just a new concept to him, since he has only recently been going on walks now that his vaccines are all complete.
He just loves his exercise. We have a very large backyard we had fenced in just for the dogs, so my husky can get all of her exercise there. We didn't think such a little dog would be able to keep up but he runs from one end to the other faster than she does! A chihuahua that outlasts a husky was the last thing I would have expected, he just has endless amounts of energy :shock:

 

Rene~

You can most definitely take them together, but it would be a good idea to have somebody else to take one dog during the training. Meaning, you take one, and someone else (family member, other trainer there, etc.) take the other. You can still stand together so the dogs will be close to each other, but having one person per dog makes things a little easier when it comes to training.

I took Mickey & Tigger to the same training class at the same time. I did not work with them together at the class, though. I did what I described above...I took one, someone took the other. It worked out wonderfully! They have no issues with being separated, so I didn't have to stand together so they could be next to one another, I actually made it a point to have them not next to each other during the class so they gained more experience not being together all the time. However, with your dogs' situation (not wanting to be apart), I understand your desire to have them together!

And PooGirl brought up an excellent point, do be sure you have a small class! :y_the_best:

Good luck with your classes if you decide to go, you'll have a great time (as will your pups)!

 

I also have a small dog that wont walk on a leash, harness at all. Luckly she is very active in playing with her sister and they have a large yard to play in so I am sure they get tons of excercise. Unfortunatly there is no where safe to walk around my house and my husky misses her walks, we go as often as I can to the track but with two toddlers it gets pretty hard. She doesnt play much in the yard except for snow and pretty much is a very laid back dog but I do worry she isnt getting enough exercise. Anyway back to my poms, since they are so little they tire themselves out pretty easily in the backyard where they are able to stay out as long as they want since me and hubby work opposite shifts so someone is almost always home. But that is the good thing about having small dogs especially two as you do PooGirl they dont have to be walked to get their execise in!

Jill

 

My two Bichons run off all their energy blitzing and playing. They don't need help there.

 

Maya is a little older than Molly and Emma. And she's considerably bigger. She's about fifteen pounds now. We take her for long walk (lasting at least an hour) And when it cools off we're going to start taking her hiking with us. We live in Las Vegas and there are some really nice hiking trails that will be just right for her. (With plenty of water and rest of course) She also goes jogging with me, just for short distances. We're a very active family and she's a very active pup well she's not a pup anymore she's a little over 17 months old. My vet is astounded at how much exercise she gets. But has said that Maya is in excellent health. I know that's not exactly answering your question but it is agreeing with you that they're like little engerizer bunnies and keep going and going. I'm still waiting for Maya to get tired.

Tracie, Matt, Maya, and the ferrets